The current 'Tactical Custom Folder' market = HOTTEST ever?

Yeah, the Tuff thumbz folders.. I don't get... What makes those worth over $500 even? New? Different shape.. not much else going on... OH WAIT ONE HAS A NEW GRAPHIC ON IT AND A DIFFERENT FINISH< $1000 MORE FOR THAT ONE..

and a burchtree for 3k? lol some people need to send me their money :D


edit: As I mentioned in an earlier post, this tactical custom folder thread is very closely tied to my knife bubble thread... same thing.. WTF!:!: The TT knives fit both threads perfectly...

Rolf, gimme your POHAN ;]
 
The Pohan Leu flipper. That's another story. Everything about the Bluefin is perfect except that I'm not too keen on the bladeshape. I've talked to Pohan at a couple of knife shows and fondled/flipped the knives, and I have to say without bias that they are the smoothest, sharpest, and most solid knives with the best-ground blades you can get at a price that's much closer to $500 than $1000.

sloth357 said:
Yeah, the Tuff thumbz folders.. I don't get... What makes those worth over $500 even? New? Different shape.. not much else going on... OH WAIT ONE HAS A NEW GRAPHIC ON IT AND A DIFFERENT FINISH< $1000 MORE FOR THAT ONE..

and a burchtree for 3k? lol some people need to send me their money :D


edit: As I mentioned in an earlier post, this tactical custom folder thread is very closely tied to my knife bubble thread... same thing.. WTF!:!: The TT knives fit both threads perfectly...

Rolf, gimme your POHAN ;]
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gooeytek said:
The Pohan Leu flipper. That's another story. Everything about the Bluefin is perfect except that I'm not too keen on the bladeshape. I've talked to Pohan at a couple of knife shows and fondled/flipped the knives, and I have to say without bias that they are the smoothest, sharpest, and most solid knives with the best-ground blades you can get at a price that's much closer to $500 than $1000.
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I agree. I'm a huge fan of traditional tantos so the whole package is a win for me. I re-designed the handle a bit on mine and had him remove the finger groove and it feels perfect in the hand. It's the one knife that I know I'll never let go.
 
Do you have a pic of it? Are you referring to the thumb ramp? That's the only part that I can't get past, maybe I should reach out to Pohan for a little tweak like that.
 
neverdie36 said:
Right. like, Can anyone explain to me how "Tuffknives" are going for $1200 and the like?

Am I missing something?
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The ferrum forge pretium is one for me like that. If I can see fit and finish issues on YouTube, I can't imagine what it looks like in person.
 
gooeytek said:
Do you have a pic of it? Are you referring to the thumb ramp? That's the only part that I can't get past, maybe I should reach out to Pohan for a little tweak like that.
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Yeah he'll tweak the thumb ramp if you want...I personally love it. The overall package is very slim so the ramp definitely helps you get a good hold on it. Your thumb kinda just falls right on the ramp, it feels right for me. The jimping is on the aggressive side but certainly not enough to cut you or anything like that.

Heres mine: No finger groove, just one clean line all the way to the back.

mgl2.jpg
 
Kevin Jones said:
IMO, no one should be surprised that the popularity of tactical knives (folders & fixed-blades) has taken off so dramatically. Part of this popularity can be contributed to post-911. Look how firearm ownership has increased. Then there’s the crave for ‘high-tech’ anything, Hollywood’s promotion of tactical weapons in popular “action/hero” movies etc. and of course the popularity of folders in general.
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Good observation. The US has become FAR more militarized in general over the past 12 years compared to, say. the previous 25. Not a huge surprise to me that this has carried over into the knife world. I do think that if/when US military engagements disappear and military and paramilitary employment declines, we will see a commensurate decline in interest in tactical knives.

Scurvy092 said:
The current market is being driven by the 'celebrity' knife maker. It's not about having the best fit and finish, it's about socializing with people and making them buy more into the maker themselves than their product. This is NOT about any one maker, there are SEVERAL out there right now.

I see so many knives out there with OBVIOUS fit and finish issues selling for large amounts of money because the maker is popular or friends with folks who are popular in certain areas of the internet.

This compared to something like my John W Smith F5 Flipper. An absolutely flawless knife that sells for a fraction of what those other knives do because he basically doesn't exist on the internet.

And that's not even mentioning the whole 'secondary market pricing' issue.
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You have a good point. There is always a cult of personality element in the collectible universe.

jdm61 said:
I know the obvious one. What other forums are driving this trend?
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Besides the obvious one, there are a bunch of smaller forums where tacticals seem to predominate (e.g., Knife Dogs), but there are also some YouTube channels which feature tactical knife reviews and thet seem to have a lot of followers.

I am really not very interested in tactical knives. And I prefer tits and asses, and even dogs, to zombies, skulls, warlocks, hobbits, and dungeons-and-dragons.

But I do think that these knives are here to stay, and that maybe 25 years from now some of the best of the best that are in that market today will be highly desired and command even much higher prices by the same folks who desire them today and who will have more disposable income at that time to finally buy that knife of which they dreamed when they were younger and poorer. We have seen that pattern in a lot of other collectible markets. Everything old is new again.
 
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lol, I'm pretty sure its these fisherman's cabins he rents that are right on or near a cause-way or something wateresque :)

I mean... This market is the HOTTEST ever :) yes.
 
I think it's good marketing delivered to a specific demographic.
 
Is Snody still a cowboy? That's the question.
My Reduced Bluephin is a keeper. I would not call the Bluephin a tactical folder though. Agree?
Has anyone looked at Mikkel Willumsen's folder line? His knives are tacticallooking but are made with such skill and they feel great in the hand.
 
As of yesterday I might have to appreciate the bubble. It's forced me to look elsewhere and I've discovered a maker new-to-me that has knocked my socks off for the price point, features and craftsmanship. Look to South Africa for some great knives!

You can't blame the maker for doing what they're doing and if people have the disposable income, have at it. It makes the "search" a bit more worthwhile and while some makers books are closed and full due to the blacked out 10oz tank folder, you find other makers with a better product in my opinion that are more than happy to have you.

As a maker I think it would be cool though, put something different out, try different things and capitalize on the market.
 
Lorien said:
no doubt several forums on the web work effiectively in hyping and driving sales to makers who work those forums.
I hope this forum never becomes one of them.
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I keep coming back to this statement, Lorien.

I applaud everything you do in this forum and for knives in general. However, this statement is closed-minded and hypocritical. I hope it was simply a rushed point.

Closed minded, because there is no US and THEM. Our tastes simply differ. A 'forum' is the joint constitution of it's supporters. And, we've seen examples in this thread that forum styles change and is dynamic. It is here.

Hypocritical because THIS forum hypes our favored makers as much as any. They just have different names and styles. Hanson, Branson, Bump, Doyle, Long, Wheeler, Andrews, et al. There is HUGE bias towards fixed blades in this forum, and I'm a supporter. These guys, and others I've missed naming, do it right.

So does Manaro, R.J. Martin, Rexford, Crawford, DDR, Begg, Fellhoelter, Burch, Blackwood et al. They do it with folding knives, AND the best of them have been recognized by factories to produce signature models.

It's those that have the factory collabs who are commanding the big bucks. I'm impressed.

My point: there is plenty of room here for any maker and even their fanboys. As long as there is respect for everyone. I think I'd like to know more, and see more of these knives and their processes.

Coop
 
if this particular forum ever becomes one where the focus is on SELLING knives, which is happening a little more and more all the time, at the expense of a more global exposure to custom knives, I'll lose interest. With that focus on selling, comes the hype and attaboy atmosphere that I personally tend to avoid.

Fortunately, the C&H forum on Bladeforums is very global in its content. There is a great diversity of work available here to be exposed to, that might be more greatly diminished as hype and the shills who perpetuate hype squeeze their way in.

Many makers here post their own work immediately after they finish making it. This gives an amazing 'real time' feel that I think is unparalled in cutlery forums. In some of the other forums, it's the customers and dealers who post knives they've purchased which take up the bandwidth, with a few exceptions where makers post their work and their fawning supporters spew forth accolades only. There is a big difference between the secondary market and the primary market- maybe something like a 50% difference if you get my meaning.

This forum is less about driving demand and getting top dollar for the newest maker a guy's discovered, than it is about the art and craft of knife making, design, and collecting. The best indicator that I can think of is in the title of this thread. What has this forum done to make the current tactical custom folder market the hottest ever? Not much, compared to other places. This forum generally has never been, at least from how I've seen things, about making any particular market 'hot'. It has however served to expose a great many people to the fact that custom knives are a thing, and has probably funneled new collectors into these 'hot' markets in a more oblique sense.

An individual maker, such as the men you've mentioned, ( Hanson, Branson, Bump, Doyle, Long, Wheeler, Andrews ) is more likely to post his own work on this subforum. Sure, collectors post their new acquisitions, but the thing that makes this place special is the connection to the craftsmen, and their distinguished patrons. A place where you are as free to critique their work as you are to praise it. That simply doesn't exist in the same way in other places, and we've certainly talked this to death in the past.

This thread, I think, shows that this forum is open to the 'hot' markets, while at the same time shows what is different about it. I can't really explain it much better than that, so I hope you see my point; http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/733966-Stan-Wilson-Advisor-III-a-making-of-thread
 
I love this community and I enjoy it. The products that all these makers come out with are superb. Makers are popping up everywhere and it seems like there is never a shortage if them.
 
Lorien said:
if this particular forum ever becomes one where the focus is on SELLING knives, which is happening a little more and more all the time, at the expense of a more global exposure to custom knives, I'll lose interest. With that focus on selling, comes the hype and attaboy atmosphere that I personally tend to avoid.

Fortunately, the C&H forum on Bladeforums is very global in its content. There is a great diversity of work available here to be exposed to, that might be more greatly diminished as hype and the shills who perpetuate hype squeeze their way in.

Many makers here post their own work immediately after they finish making it. This gives an amazing 'real time' feel that I think is unparalled in cutlery forums. In some of the other forums, it's the customers and dealers who post knives they've purchased which take up the bandwidth, with a few exceptions where makers post their work and their fawning supporters spew forth accolades only. There is a big difference between the secondary market and the primary market- maybe something like a 50% difference if you get my meaning.

This forum is less about driving demand and getting top dollar for the newest maker a guy's discovered, than it is about the art and craft of knife making, design, and collecting. The best indicator that I can think of is in the title of this thread. What has this forum done to make the current tactical custom folder market the hottest ever? Not much, compared to other places. This forum generally has never been, at least from how I've seen things, about making any particular market 'hot'. It has however served to expose a great many people to the fact that custom knives are a thing, and has probably funneled new collectors into these 'hot' markets in a more oblique sense.

An individual maker, such as the men you've mentioned, ( Hanson, Branson, Bump, Doyle, Long, Wheeler, Andrews ) is more likely to post his own work on this subforum. Sure, collectors post their new acquisitions, but the thing that makes this place special is the connection to the craftsmen, and their distinguished patrons. A place where you are as free to critique their work as you are to praise it. That simply doesn't exist in the same way in other places, and we've certainly talked this to death in the past.

This thread, I think, shows that this forum is open to the 'hot' markets, while at the same time shows what is different about it. I can't really explain it much better than that, so I hope you see my point; http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/733966-Stan-Wilson-Advisor-III-a-making-of-thread
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This is a fantastic post.

While I haven't been here long compared to many others, the bolded items I can second without hesitation.

The intimacy of this forum is second to none and other places that push maker A or maker B in your face do not have that feel. That is why I choose to spend my time on BF.
 
Lorien said:
if this particular forum ever becomes one where the focus is on SELLING knives, which is happening a little more and more all the time, at the expense of a more global exposure to custom knives, I'll lose interest. With that focus on selling, comes the hype and attaboy atmosphere that I personally tend to avoid.

Fortunately, the C&H forum on Bladeforums is very global in its content. There is a great diversity of work available here to be exposed to, that might be more greatly diminished as hype and the shills who perpetuate hype squeeze their way in.

Many makers here post their own work immediately after they finish making it. This gives an amazing 'real time' feel that I think is unparalled in cutlery forums. In some of the other forums, it's the customers and dealers who post knives they've purchased which take up the bandwidth, with a few exceptions where makers post their work and their fawning supporters spew forth accolades only. There is a big difference between the secondary market and the primary market- maybe something like a 50% difference if you get my meaning.

This forum is less about driving demand and getting top dollar for the newest maker a guy's discovered, than it is about the art and craft of knife making, design, and collecting. The best indicator that I can think of is in the title of this thread. What has this forum done to make the current tactical custom folder market the hottest ever? Not much, compared to other places. This forum generally has never been, at least from how I've seen things, about making any particular market 'hot'. It has however served to expose a great many people to the fact that custom knives are a thing, and has probably funneled new collectors into these 'hot' markets in a more oblique sense.

An individual maker, such as the men you've mentioned, ( Hanson, Branson, Bump, Doyle, Long, Wheeler, Andrews ) is more likely to post his own work on this subforum. Sure, collectors post their new acquisitions, but the thing that makes this place special is the connection to the craftsmen, and their distinguished patrons. A place where you are as free to critique their work as you are to praise it. That simply doesn't exist in the same way in other places, and we've certainly talked this to death in the past.

This thread, I think, shows that this forum is open to the 'hot' markets, while at the same time shows what is different about it. I can't really explain it much better than that, so I hope you see my point; http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/733966-Stan-Wilson-Advisor-III-a-making-of-thread
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Good post!
 
I said this; no doubt several forums on the web work effiectively in hyping and driving sales to makers who work those forums.

What I meant was this; no doubt several forums on the web work effectively in hyping and driving sales to makers, dealers and resellers who work those forums.

Coop, I'm glad you pointed this out. I knew what I said was incomplete but never went back to correct it.
 
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